Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 70, NWS Topeka, KS

May 18, 1997Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1997, 8:20 PM CDT for Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas. It was in force for 60 min. 6 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 1997, 8:20 PM CDT (01:20 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1997, 9:20 PM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Douglas County, KS, Jefferson County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 8:33 PM CDTHail 0.75Oskaloosa, KS
May 18, 8:50 PM CDTHail 0.75Mc Louth, KS
May 18, 9:00 PM CDTHail 1.75Lecompton, KS
May 18, 9:00 PM CDTHail 0.75Oskaloosa, KS
May 18, 9:00 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Oskaloosa, KS
May 18, 9:10 PM CDTHail 1Oskaloosa, KS

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 18, 5:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 27 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1997-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2665 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1997-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 28 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2665 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2061 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

352 
WUUS1 KTOP 190120 RRA
SVRTOP
KSC045-087-190220-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
820 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
     NORTHWESTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY - EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
     SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY - NORTHEAST KANSAS

* UNTIL 920 PM CDT
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
     PERRY
     BIG SPRINGS
     LECOMPTON

* AT 715 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM
  15 MILES EAST OF TOPEKA NEAR PERRY TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
  TOPEKA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR
  PERRY...BIG SPRINGS...AND LECOMPTON FROM 820 PM THROUGH 920 PM

* REPORTS
     GOLF BALL HAIL IN PERRY AT 800 PM
 
LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY.  GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY
AWAY FROM WINDOWS

SD/DDN
&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 18, 7:21 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
721 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0718 PM    BERRYTON                  KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0718 PM    PAULINE                   KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE
Local storm report, May 18, 7:22 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
721 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0718 PMz    BERRYTON                  KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0718 PM    PAULINE                   KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE
Local storm report, May 18, 7:28 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
728 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0725 PM    4 W COUNCIL GROVE         KS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   MORRIS

0726 PM    PAULINE                   KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE
Local storm report, May 18, 7:29 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
728 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0725 PM    4 W COUNCIL GROVE         KS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   MORRIS

0726 PM    PAULINE                   KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE
Local storm report, May 18, 8:09 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
809 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0756 PM    5 E GRANTVILLE            KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0758 PM    9 S ALMA                  KS   55 MPH TSTM GUST
05/18/97   WABAUNSEE

0759 PM    PERRY                     KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0805 PM    PERRY                     KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON
Local storm report, May 18, 8:11 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
809 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0756 PM    5 E GRANTVILLE            KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0758 PM    9 S ALMA                  KS   55 MPH TSTM GUST
05/18/97   WABAUNSEE

0759 PM    PERRY                     KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0805 PM    PERRY                     KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 7:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson64 min
May 18, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee, Wabaunsee46 min
May 18, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon46 min
May 18, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Jefferson61 min
May 18, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsage61 min
May 18, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMorris48 min
May 18, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee, Wabaunsee64 min
May 18, 7:59 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMorris31 min
May 18, 8:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Osage59 min
May 18, 8:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson61 min
May 18, 9:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsage48 min
May 18, 9:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPFranklin48 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.